Section X

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. If anyone could hear anything I was doing right now, it would be a gift. My eyelids keep drifting shut as the blood running down the side of my face begins to slow. I think I have a concussion. I wasn’t this sleepy until I was wacked from behind. My Del4 Comm which lets me communicate with people who have the same model, wherever they might be, is missing. More likely that whoever bashed my head against the wall took it, which sucks. It’s the only way that I can reach my parents or anyone else on NorthStarDelta, a space station that floats about few million miles from Mars.

I blame Delilah. I could have been in my room reading the latest edition of Spintax, but no. She wanted to take a side trip to visit Section X. There were dwarf planets that were undiscovered until we got closer to Mars and Section X is one of them. They were located on the other side near the asteroid belt. Apparently, the ancient equipment that was used way back then didn’t pick them up and there were several of them. Some have been inhabited but most people don’t trust to leave their stations until an exploratory team goes and conducts thorough research on the planet to decide if it can sustain life. Some that have settled on one of the planets will reach out for a while but then communication just dies.

It would be weird living someplace other than the station. It’s all I know. In that same regard, my sense of adventure wants to discover these new places and experience the unknown, but within reason. The Exploratory Teams (ET) go through extensive training before they make a trip to one of these planets and even then, things can go terribly wrong.

Supposedly, centuries ago people lived on a planet called Earth. Due to mistreatment of resources and global warming, the planet’s core eventually exploded killing 70% of life. The remaining life had evacuated. Some had traveled to Earth’s moon but felt the impact of Earth shattering. It’s unknown how many people on the Moon survived but it’s likely that the answer is none.

This is where Section X comes in. It wasn’t originally called that. It was called Oasis. There were reports that the planet’s properties were unique. Its core can harness heat that radiates all over the planet. Temperatures aren’t extreme on either spectrum but reasonable. The gravitational pull is enough so that you can get around reasonably but is a little lighter for amplified movement. This planet has water, plant life and barren craters that are like the ones on moons and the air is breathable. Essentially, the planet is perfect, on paper. The ET was hopeful that we could start bringing small groups to the planet. Then, the incident happened.

We weren’t given very many details about it, but some members of the ET didn’t make it home. The official story was that gases from the planet leaked and caused an explosion at the facility where they conducted the research. Lex’s mom, who is a geologist and botanist on the ET team, told his dad that the facility is fine. She was at a dig site when the incident happened and that they were covering something up. No one in the official chain of command would even tell her anything further, which let her know it was serious.

After the incident, all studies on Oasis came to a halt. The exploratory mission was completely shut down and the planet was renamed to Section X. No explanation. Nothing.

I can see Section X from my window. We all can. Me and my friends that is. We wanted to just see what it would feel like not to be in this space station. All the old films in the archive showed people living their lives, completely carefree. We just wanted to know what that felt like to breathe natural air and experience walking on a real world. Then, we got our wish.

Donald James (DJ) flies a charter ship that goes from one space station to another. The flights are charted for each day and once they are completed, he returns the ship to the docking station. If a ship doesn’t return within a two-hour window, then it will set off an alarm that alerts the Charter Authority, which polices the ships and cargo that each one carries.

Each ship contains a chipped anchor that slides into place at the docking station to a corresponding holding lock. The outside of the holding lock is illuminated as red when the ship is away and green once the two parts meet. DJ found a man that could clone the anchor’s signal to trick the holding lock into thinking the ship is there. It isn’t the signal alone though. The weight of the lock has to be precise, or it will not connect to show the ship has been docked.

Through the years there have been many false alarms but there were never any ships missing. Well, except when one of the Station Leader’s sons decided to take the ship for a joy ride. He had turned it into a party ship with alcohol, games and debauchery. His father was pissed to say the least. So much so that he decided that his son needed to learn the value of these ships by working on them. This is how DJ started as a janitor and eventually became a pilot. He moved up fast, against his father’s wishes. Big Mike thought that he could harness that energy into actively helping the charter and he’s a damn good pilot. He takes his job fairly seriously and the faith that Big Mike has in him. Not seriously enough, since he decided to charter this side trip to Section X.

BANG!

I’m pulled from my thoughts instantly as what sounds like a cabinet down the hall through a corridor is slammed to the point of breaking. Someone’s coming. My brain is trying to focus on where I am. Not sure where that is by the way.

When I was knocked out, I was right in front of the glass doors that led to the Atrium. When I woke up, I was in the hallway next to the infirmary. How ironic. I entered the room but couldn’t manage to focus long enough to treat my injuries.

My mother is a nurse on the station. She’s taught me the basics of everything so I felt like I could manage but it’s hard to fix yourself when you’re fighting drowsiness. I ducked into a supply closet that wraps around the short wall of the room and ends at another door on the nearest corner. The room has multiple aisles of supplies that are on shelves that reach the ceiling. I’m leaning up against the back wall to alleviate some of the throbbing pressure in my head when I hear the door on the far left open.

I freeze. Every amount of sleepiness has dissipated in seconds. My eyes are wide open and alert. I can’t see who came in but at this point it really doesn’t matter. I don’t know who knocked me out or why. I can’t afford to trust anyone.

CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

The heels of a stiletto echo in the room’s silence. It’s one of the girls. That doesn’t reassure me in the least. I push myself off the wall and quietly make my way into the one of the spaces between the shelves that’s perpendicular to the aisles. This way whoever it is can’t see me when the walk past the last aisle or the wall.

My right ear picks up as they pass the last aisle and their walking stops as they reach the end of the hall. I try to keep my breaths shallow. I want them to think this room is empty.

CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

I move into the last aisle as they began to make their way down between the shelves and the wall. I crouch down and catch her legs take one rhythmic step in front of the other until she passes where I am. Suddenly, she stops. Something has caught her eye. It’s not me. It’s something on the wall. I look around some equipment to get a better look. Aw shit!

Blood. My blood to be exact. From where my head leaned against the wall moments earlier. She looks at it. I can’t see her face, just her disheveled hair. Then she turns…

Vickie. Sort of. Her eyes are blood shot red and looks as if she had a ruptured blood vessel in both. Dirt and debris marr her usually pristine skin and her clothes are ripped and torn. Her teeth ghostly white with a sinister smile on her face. She looks deranged. She’s changed.

Her finger reaches up on the wall and dabs at my blood to coat her finger. She looks at it then puts it in her mouth and licks the finger clean. She closes her eyes as if to savor the taste and says…

“Casey. I know it’s you.” Fuck! How the hell does she know it’s me. “Fresh blood tastes the best. I know you’re probably still in here. You can’t have gone far.”

With lightning reflexes, she enters the space between the shelves and sticks her head in the aisle. Luckily, I walked down to the end of the aisle and turned the corner just in time. If I had hesitated, she would have saw me and I don’t know how that confrontation would have gone.

There was an internal war going on whether I should stay and watch to see where she goes or leave while I have the chance. Either choice was risky. I don’t know what happened to her, but it doesn’t feel right.

Vickie is one of the most loving and affectionate people you will ever meet. I don’t know who this is, but it isn’t my Vickie. This is someone else entirely or something else.

My eyes watched her as her head still stuck through the opening. She’s frozen. I can’t even her abdomen move for breathing. Her eyes are open and unblinking. If you didn’t know, you would have thought she was a mannequin or a statue. A blank expression on her face. I stay completely still.

Minutes. Solid minutes pass by. My leg is starting to fall asleep, and she hasn’t moved or blinked ONCE! It’s like she knows I’m here but just can’t figure out where. I’m regretting my choice of keeping an eye on her to keep note of where she is. I readjust my arm that is braced against the shelf and my arm moves a can less than a centimeter.

Her eyes instantly flicker to where I am. Slowly her head turns in the same direction and cocks to the side as that sinister smile comes back in full force. It grows bigger and bigger until it covers most of her face. Then she releases a blood curdling scream.

I. TAKE. OFF.

I run to the end of the aisle with stark determination. I don’t dare look back and just keep running towards the door. Behind me I can hear items crashing to the floor and heavy breathing as if this 5’5” girl was a grizzly bear. I could hear her frantic steps, which likened to that of an elephant, right behind me. I ran through the door grabbing the handle and slamming it shut. Then…

Silence. I backed away from the door only to remember there is another door at the other corner of the room. My eyes quickly shoot to it. Slowly, the form of her head begins to lean over the frame of the door. The smile with blood shot eyes as one eye begins to roll in its socket revealing the white. I maintain eye contact with her. I need to get out of here now!

Hot air brushes against the nape of my neck. Goosebumps begin to form, and the hair stands on end. Someone’s behind me that isn’t Vickie. I can hear and feel them breathing on me. I feel my heartbeat racing. Beads of sweat collect on my forehead. My eyes break contact as my head gradually turns. There’s a gasp and then…